(Extra) Of Halloween & Handcuffs
by Heroes Fly-Minho's Hero Limps
Summary: It was on Halloween that it happened; that Minho and Newt realized that they were more than friends, and began the rest of their lives together.
1. Chapter 1

-Of Halloween & Handcuffs-

-Yay! I love this Minewt fanfic so much! So this is probably two parts long (so far) and it's part of my Of Minho & Newt married series. It's a little flashback of the day Minho and Newt had their first kiss and realized that maybe they were more than friends. Yes, it takes place on Halloween. I wanted to save this until Halloween actually came around, but I couldn't wait until October, haha.

I welcome and am very grateful for reviews, so tell me what you liked!

Happy Slightly-Early-Halloween! XD-

"HAPPY HALLOWEEN!"

That was the first thing a group of kids yelled when they burst through the doors of Glade High that October. The black-and-blue hallways were swathed in fake cobwebs and black cutout spiders. Almost every student was dressed up in their costumes to celebrate the holiday. Witches and vampires and werewolves walked down the crowded halls together. Even a few of the teachers had worn a costume, though the old History teacher, Mr. Janson hadn't. There was a feeling of excitement in the air, and giddy laughter bubbled up from every corner. It felt like something great could happen at any moment. Everyone was looking forward to the night ahead, after all. Halloween night was always the most popular night of the year at Glade High.

Minho couldn't have agreed more; he had his own plans for tonight that he was excited about. Not that he could share them with anyone. If he did, Thomas and the others were sure to back out. So he kept his ideas to himself as he made his way down to the hallway where his locker was. Across the hall, he glimpsed another member of the track team, a short-haired blonde named Ben. He was wearing only jeans and a black Glade High Track Team tee. Minho tsked under his breath at his friend. Not in the spirit of Halloween at all. With that, he snuck up behind Ben and promptly scared the crap out of him by poking a finger into his side. Ben yelped like a girl and whirled around to see a golden, plastic badge being shoved in his face.

"I'm sorry, Ben, but I'm not seeing the proper Halloween costume here," Minho informed him airily. "I'm afraid I'm gonna have to fine you for lacking the Halloween spirit."

Ben wrinkled his nose. "Minho, what the—?"

"You have the right to remain silent," Minho cut him off teasingly.

Ben rolled his eyes then. "Ha ha, very funny," he deadpanned. "Good to see that YOU'RE in the 'Halloween spirit.'" He pointed at Minho's costume then, pale blue eyes flickering in amusement.

Minho gestured at himself with confident bravado. "You like it?" he asked, smirking rakishly as he shoved the badge back in pocket. The short-sleeved, navy cop uniform had the been the only thing to fit him perfectly when he hurried to buy something last-minute for the holiday. He had to admit, he'd been hoping to find something like an ax murderer's clothes this year, but they'd run out. Besides, this costume came with handcuffs, and he couldn't turn that down.

Ben snorted. "Yeah, sure, whatever. Didn't you want a hat to go with it?" he asked, looking pointedly at Minho's spiked, ebony hair.

"And ruin my awesome hair? No way."

"Oh, yeah I forgot about your precious HAIR," Ben scoffed, and quickly got a glare in return. "You couldn't get a size bigger or something?"

Minho glanced down at himself. "What do you mean? This fits."

"Maybe here," Ben replied, motioning at Minho's stomach, "but not here." He then pointed at where the uniform outlined Minho's broad shoulders.

Minho shrugged nonchalantly. "Maybe I just wanted to show off," he quipped, lacing his fingers behind his head and feeling the muscles in his arms flex languidly.

Ben shot a look up at the ceiling. Then he said something a little odd. "Oh, please. I thought you only wanted to 'show off' when Newt was around."

Minho blinked. "Why would I—?" He was unfortunately, interrupted, when a boy with bronze-colored hair dashed up to them and immediately began to talk.

"Hey, guys, check it out!" Thomas exclaimed. He struck a proud pose, hands on his hips. "Worked on this thing all night! How's it look?" He then tried to put on a dead-serious expression. He wore all black from head to toe, and a mask covered all of his face from the nose down. It was hard to tell when he was smiling and the fabric moved comically every time he spoke.

"You look like a giant, black sock," Ben told him flatly.

Minho, on the other hand, was in a better mood. He loved Halloween, after all. "So you're a ninja this year?" he asked Thomas. "I thought you and Gally were gonna do a couple thing with your costumes."

Thomas's ears burned bright pink. He crossed his arms like an embarrassed toddler. "For the twentieth time, we are NOT EVEN DATING."

Ben and Minho both laughed like this was the funniest thing they'd ever heard and shared disbelieving glances. "Thomas, I'm sorry, but you need to come out of denial already," Ben informed him. "Because we all know that you've got the hots for Galileo."

"I do not!" Thomas insisted (but his now-scarlet face told otherwise). "He doesn't even LIKE me. I think he hates me."

"That's just his way of saying he wants you," Ben replied.

"He does not WANT me."

"Oh, sure. I passed him in the hallway once and saw his iPod. He's gotta whole playlist of love songs titled 'Thomas.'"

Thomas's brown eyes widened. "You're lying." Then he paused. "...what songs were on it?"

"Sexyback," Minho spoke up helpfully, with a suggestive grin.

Ben snickered, and added a song of his own. "And Smooth."

"And Crazy in Love."

"AND Lay Me Down."

"Don't forget Let's Get It On."

Minho let out a burst of laughter. "Ooh, I love that one," he crowed. Ben sniggered in agreement; they both started singing at the same time, using low, sexy voices. "I've been really trying, baby! Trying to hold back this feeling, for so long!"

"Okay, you can shut up now," Thomas said loudly.

"And if YOU feel, like I feel, baby!"

"Please be quiet now!"

"Then, come on...oh, come on..."

"OH MY GOD SHUT UP."

"Let's get it on...oh, let's get it on..."

Thomas covered his ears with his hands and turned his back on them. "I'm not listening!" he sang. "I'm not listening, and this is not happening!"

Ben and Minho had stopped singing by then, triumph written across their faces. From across the hall, a girl with long, brown hair turned and flashed a wide smile. "Sounds hot, guys!" she cheered, cupping her mouth with a hand to call to them.

Ben blushed a little and Minho sent her a smirk right back. "Thanks, Brenda!" he called. "It's hard being this attractive, but we certainly try!"

Ben stared at him like he was a math problem that couldn't be solved. "Why in God's name do girls like you so much?" he asked enviously.

Thomas turned back around and piped up, "it's pretty much a known fact that if you're gay, then girls automatically think you're ten times more attractive. It doesn't make sense, but it's true."

"And THAT is the whole reason I became gay," Minho joked.

"I thought your whole reason was that guy, Raph," Thomas returned.

Ben's brow furrowed. "RAPH?" he echoed in confusion.

"Short for Raphael," Minho explained. He slung his thumbs in his pockets. "He was an old student that moved away when he was a sophomore."

Thomas sighed like a dreamy girl and his mask blew outwards with his breath. "He was just EDIBLE."

"Amen," Minho agreed.

Ben glanced back and forth between them, a bit of an awkward look on face. " As a straight guy, I will never understand you two," he told them matter-of-factly. "If you're both gay, why don't you guys just date?"

Minho and Thomas looked at each other, and then started making choking sounds. Minho jerked a thumb at Thomas. "HIM?" he demanded disbelievingly. "He's like my freaking brother."

"Seriously, Ben," Thomas put in. "You're gross. Ew."

Ben threw his hands up in the air in exasperation. "I give up," he declared, and promptly turned to his locker, fumbling with the lock.

Minho watched for a second, wondering how much time they had left until the bell rang; once it did, they'd have to split up and go to homeroom. Ben and Thomas had homerooms down by the chorus room and Minho, by some act of Satan, got stuck with Mr. Janson. That hook-nosed teacher had to have something against Minho, because he spent his entire life making Minho's days a living hell. After a few minutes, Minho caught a flash of something black out of the corner of his eye. He glanced over curiously—and felt his jaw drop.

Newt. Newt was walking toward them, talking to a girl next to him. The girl had eyes like blue ice and sooty hair that fell in a cascade over her shoulders: Teresa. She was wearing a gray T-shirt with a white belly, and matching gray skinny jeans. Even her arms and face had been painted the same color and she'd drawn gills on her neck. When she smiled, you could tell she wore sharpened, plastic teeth over her own. But that wasn't what caught Minho's attention. It was NEWT.

Newt was dressed in one of those skintight surfer's outfits, jet-black and with wide bands of turquoise along the sides. It was a great contrast with his fair skin and warm, blonde hair. His charred-blue eyes glowed with lightheartedness when he spoke to Teresa. Every slim, lean muscle in his entire body was hugged deliciously by that suit. Minho felt a little dizzy. "Oh..."

"What?" Thomas asked. He followed Minho's gaze, then grinned mischievously. "Ooooh, looks like someone's gotta crush."

Now it was Minho's turn to get defensive. "I don't know what you're talking about," he scoffed.

"What're we talking about now?" Ben asked, not looking over his shoulder as he continued to fiddle with his lock.

Thomas elbowed Minho's side teasingly. "Minho's got a crush on Newt."

"Really?"

Minho's face began to flush self-consciously. "That's not true," he insisted. "He's just a friend."

"Than why're you blushing?" Thomas asked knowingly.

"I'm not blushing."

"Uh, yeah, you are."

"Ughhhh, can we forget about this now?"

"Oh, you got it bad for him."

"UGHHHH." Minho thought about shoving Thomas over, but before he could, Newt and Teresa were in front of them.

"Hi, guys!" Teresa chirped, waving. She threw an arm around Newt's shoulders. "How do we look? Pretty good, right?"

"What are you guys, exactly?" Thomas asked conversationally.

Newt raised his hand. "I'm a surfer," he explained. Then his gaze darkened in annoyance. "I was SUPPOSED to have a surfboard, but Principal Paige said it wasn't school appropriate. Too big or something like that."

Teresa jabbed a thumb at herself and beamed broadly. "And I'm a SHARK!" she announced. "See?!" She let go of Newt to turn around, showing off the dorsal fin sticking out the back of her shirt. "We're a Jaws theme costume couple!"

Minho nearly choked on his own spit. "WHAT?"

Teresa giggled, turning a bit pink. But Newt just waved a hand dismissively. "Relax, we're not a real couple," he assured. "We just wanted to use the costume idea."

"Oh." Minho breathed out a discreet sigh of relief.

Thomas sent Minho a sideways glance. "Why, would that have bothered you, Minho?" he asked lightly. "If they were a couple, I mean?"

"No," Minho replied in a carefully-neutral voice, "it wouldn't."

Teresa seemed to sense what was going on and slung her arm back around Newt's shoulders. "Okay, good, because actually, we are kind of a couple," she told him.

"Huh?" The disappointment in Minho's voice was evident.

Thomas and Teresa instantly started laughing, letting him know that he'd just been tricked. Thomas gave him a playful push in the shoulder and Teresa winked. Newt just lowered his eyes bashfully. Maybe Minho was imagining it, but he thought he saw a blush rising in the blonde's cheeks.

"Okay, okay, I'm done now," Thomas chuckled, putting a hand on Minho's shoulder. "I swear, I'm done, I'll stop teasing." He blew out an exhale after the last of the giggles had left him and then turned a bright gaze on all of them. "So. New topic: what're we gonna do tonight?"

"Yeah, I was wondering that too," Ben added, finally getting his lock open and swinging open his locker door. He then reached in to get some books out of his bag. It was a mistake.

Minho regained some of his confidence. "Well, you're not doing anything," he decided, and before Ben could react, he clapped the pair of handcuffs on him.

"Minho! What the hell?" Ben pulled his hands out of his locker and looked at the handcuffs with wide eyes.

Minho crossed his arms over his chest. "Maybe you should've thought about wearing an actual costume."

"I came as a track runner!"

"That's just yourself, moron."

"How am I supposed to do anything with these on?"

"You don't," Minho answered simply. Then he smirked devilishly at everybody. "And don't worry about tonight, guys. I got something planned for all of us that you're gonna love. Don't even think about driving; I'll come pick you guys up."

"Well, I actually can't go," Teresa said regretfully. "I have to go trick-or-treating with my little cousin. She really wants me to come with her."

"You're gonna miss out," Minho teased, and she stuck her tongue out at him. "The rest of you in?"

"Sure, I'm in," Thomas replied. "As long as it's not a repeat of last year. I am not breaking into the school to sneak rats into Janson's classroom again."

Ben held up his cuffed hands. "I'd love to, if you'll TAKE THESE OFF ALREADY."

Minho snickered. "All right, I got Thomas and Ben." He glanced at Newt. "Newt?"

Newt had a tempted smile on his face. He glanced back and forth between his three friends for a few moments. Then his smile widened. "I'm in."


	2. Chapter 2

-Heyy, here it is! Part Two! I really hope you like it because I enjoyed writing it a lot. Read it at night, guys; it even scared me a little at some points ;)

Reviews, please? :)-

When Minho pulled up his car outside of Newt's house, dusk had fallen. The moon was climbing up into the clear black of the sky, an ivory orb among the diamonds of stars. Kids were scattered about on the sidewalks, toting bags of rustling candy wrappers and giggling. Costumes of bears, and witches, and puppies, and fairies were everywhere. Minho was careful to keep an eye out for them; he didn't want to ruin the night by running into someone. He'd already picked up Ben and Thomas, and they were sitting in the back seat. Ben still didn't have a proper Halloween costume, though he had been released from his handcuffs. They parked in front of Newt's house and Minho fished his cell phone out of his pocket. Finding Newt's name in his contacts, he sent a quick text: Waiting for u outside.

He waited for a minute, and then his phone buzzed. He grinned when he read it: Coming out now. U better not hav some kind of prank planned :P

"Soooo," Ben drawled loudly, as Minho rested his back against his seat again. "What's this whole thing Thomas was saying about you having a crush on Newt?"

Minho looked out the front windshield so that they wouldn't see his face. "It's all lies," he replied drily.

Thomas snorted, and Ben snickered deviously. "Oh, you're such a liar."

"And how do you know that?" Minho asked.

"I've seen how you look at him, Min. I'd have to be blind not to notice." Ben leaned forward mischievously. "I know you were checking him out in that surfer costume."

Thomas sighed at that. "He DOES look delicious in that," he remarked, mainly just to make fun of Minho.

Minho felt a surge of jealousy. "I didn't realize you liked looking at him, Thomas."

"Oh, please. I'm making an observation. You though? You're done for, man."

"What does THAT mean?" Minho arched an eyebrow at Thomas through the rearview mirror.

Thomas' eyes gleamed above his mask. "It means you're in loooooove with Newt," he sang.

"In looooove with him," Ben echoed. They laughed at each other and slapped a high five.

Minho rolled his eyes. They were never going to let this go, that much was for sure. He wondered if he should deny it again. But he knew that as soon as Newt got there, the teasing would only get worse. So he sighed, bracing himself for what was to come, and muttered, "...maybe I do...like him...a little."

Ben and Thomas both whooped loudly. "I KNEW IT!"

Minho blushed. "Shut up!"

Ben leaned forward and grabbed the back of Minho's seat, grinning broadly at him. "This is great!" he laughed. "I can't believe you admitted it!"

"Yeah, okay, I admitted it, let's drop it now."

Thomas suddenly tore his mask off his face and bent forward next to Ben. They wore similar, wide-eyed, huge-smiled expressions. "I DARE you to kiss him tonight!" he challenged.

"I DOUBLE-DARE you to kiss him tonight!" Ben crowed.

"What, no!" Minho stammered, his face burning by now.

"You're such a wimp!" Thomas returned.

"Thomas, I swear to God..."

"C'mon! Oh, you know what, let's make it interesting."

"Interesting?"

"If you can't get Newt to kiss you tonight, then you have to...um..."

Ben cut in gleefully. "You have to walk right up to Winston tomorrow and confess your undying love to him!"

Thomas burst out laughing. Minho twisted in his seat to gape at them, horrified. "That weird kid with the knives?" he demanded, and Ben nodded importantly.

"That's the one."

"Oh my God, I'd rather confess undying love to Janson."

Suddenly, Minho caught a glimpse of blonde hair out of the corner of his eye. To his mortification, Newt was closing his front door and walking down the steps of his porch. Minho's mind raced. He needed a bet to counter Ben's, fast. "Okay, fine," he said quickly. "But if I win, and Newt kisses me, then you two have to wear Halloween costumes that I CHOOSE to school for the whole day. No matter what I pick. Deal?" He held out his hand.

Ben and Thomas exchanged a wary glance, but they hardly had any more time. Ben shook Minho's hand. "Deal."

Thomas made a little nervous sound. "Oh, man. Now I kinda wish you DIDN'T like Newt after all..."

"Shutupshutup," Minho hissed, because at that moment, Newt was opening his car door.

"Hey, guys," the blonde greeted. He slid into the passenger seat and shut the door again. Fiddling with the seat belt, he glanced around at them. Thomas hurriedly shoved his mask over his mouth again, Ben was smirking evilly, and Minho couldn't seem to look at Newt at all. Newt's brow furrowed. "What's going on here?"

Thomas, Ben, and Minho all spoke at nearly the same time. "Nothing!"

Newt raised his eyebrows. "Are you sure? Cuz you're all acting a little weird."

"Don't worry about it," Ben called from the back seat.

"Yeah, it's nothing," Minho added. He tried for a nonchalant tone. "We have more important matters to deal with anyway." He started up the car again with a low rumble.

"Speaking of which..." Thomas glanced out the windows warily. "Where're we going, anyway?"

"That," Minho said with a smirk, "is a secret, until we get there."

Thomas groaned in reply. "Well, now I'm scared."

"Minho's the one who should be scared," Ben added, a hint of their bet in his voice.

Newt blinked. "Why?" he asked curiously.

Minho glanced sideways at him, at that spilled-honey hair and lovely blue eyes. His heart leaped up into his throat. "Nothing," he answered with forced lightness. "Nothing."

He prayed that he wasn't screwed. But he couldn't imagine how he could get Newt to kiss him by the end of the night. Minho was used to flirting, but not with someone like Newt, who MATTERED. What if he didn't even like Minho back?

Minho exhaled, long and silent.

It was going to be a lonnnnng night.

-x-x-x-

"...Holy crap."

This was the first thing Ben said when Minho edged the car into an old, cracked parking lot. The pavement crunched and crumbled under the tires. But Ben wasn't talking about that; he was talking about the building in front of them. A torn, chainlink fence surrounded the place, punched through with holes. Ratty weeds sprouted up in the cracks of the parking lot. And above it all, a hospital rose up out of the ground. The faded letters on its front were illuminated by silvery moonlight: WICKED INC.

It was the old WICKED hospital. Years ago, it had closed down because of...questionable medical experiments. Now, it stood abandoned and in decay. The walls weren't as white as they'd once been. They were all spiderwebbed with cracks and scratches. Every window was shattered, some blown out completely by some unknown force. The front doors were the only things that had stayed eerily in tact. The whole place had a creepy, ominous feeling in the dark of the night. Not to mention the fact that it was Halloween.

"Why in God's name are we here?" Ben asked, as the car rolled slowly toward the building. "This is creepy as hell, Minho."

"You know how some people like to explore haunted houses and abandoned buildings on Halloween night?" Minho asked in reply. His words were instantly met with groans from every person in the car. Minho smirked triumphantly.

"There's no way I'm going in there," Thomas informed him.

"What, you scared?" Minho countered.

"No, just not stupid."

"More like you're scared."

"Shut up."

Newt leaned forward to peer out the front windshield at the full moon rising over the hospital's roof. "I don't know about this, Min," he said hesitantly.

Minho playfully bumped his elbow against Newt's arm. "Aw, don't tell me you're scared too, Isaac," he teased.

Newt shot him a defiant look then. "First of all, don't call me Isaac," he said in feigned importance. "Second of all, I am NOT scared. I'm just...wondering if we're gonna get in trouble for being here."

"Why would we get in trouble?" Minho asked, unbothered.

"I dunno, I just don't want to get caught and arrested on Halloween night."

"Please," Minho scoffed. "There's no way we'll be arrested. A cop would never turn on one of his own." He held up his handcuffs and twirled them around one finger flippantly. Newt just rolled his eyes.

Minho eased the car into a parking space about halfway across the empty lot. Once he shut off the engine, a ghostly silence fell over the four friends. All of their eyes were fixed on the towering hospital in front of them. Minho felt an addictive thrill in his heart at the sight of it, that almost-fear that was more like excitement. This was why he'd wanted to come to this place after all. Sure, maybe ghosts weren't real and this was nothing more than an abandoned hospital. But there was always that what-if that begged to be explored.

The four clambered out of the car and shut their doors with too-loud bangs. Thomas and Ben hung back, muttering to each other as they gazed at the dilapidated building. Newt rounded the hood and stood next to Minho. Minho's skin tingled pleasantly when Newt's arm brushed his. "You better be sure about this," Newt whispered.

"Of course I am," Minho replied. He flashed Newt a smirk. "Have I ever steered you wrong before?"

"Don't even get me started on that."

Minho's smirk grew. Without meaning to, he found his gaze dropping to Newt's mouth. Up this close, he caught Newt's scent, a smell like cinnamon and sugar. Dazedly, he wondered if Newt's kisses tasted the same. Then he remembered the bet. His heartbeat stuttered. He couldn't believe that he'd gotten himself into this. He was going to have to kiss Newt, his best friend, the boy he'd had a crush on since...since forever. He didn't even want to think about how he was going to pull this off. How was someone supposed to explore a haunted hospital AND flirt with his best friend at the same time?

Ben and Thomas finally joined Newt and Minho by the front of the car. "Okay, I'm done waiting," Ben muttered. "Let's just get this over with."

"Yeah," Thomas agreed. "Find a ghost, try not to die, and go home. That's the plan. You did bring a flashlight, right, Minho?"

"Heck yeah." Minho slipped the flashlight out of his belt and held it up. "Cops always come prepared."

"So do ninjas," Thomas pointed out defensively.

"Oh? So where's your flashlight?"

"I'm gonna punch you."

Minho laughed, and it echoed in the dimness. Everyone decided to be quiet then. It felt...wrong somehow, to laugh in a place like this. Like you were mocking it in a way. Minho led the way to the front of the building. Up close, it was even bigger, looming over them. The chilly night air bit at Minho's skin and he shivered. The glass front doors showed nothing but darkness on the other side. Flipping on his flashlight, Minho pushed one door open with a drawn-out creak. A circle of yellow light appeared at the back wall. The group paused in the doorway as Minho slowly let the light travel over the room. It showed an old desk at the back, collecting dust, and chairs sitting in a waiting room. The creepiest part were the hallways branching off into blackness.

"This is the most awful thing I've ever done with you people," Ben whispered. Even that sounded too loud in the quiet.

"Maybe we shouldn't do this..." Thomas trailed off uncertainly.

Minho grinned back at them wolfishly. "You guys can't back out now. Think of the story you can tell your kids."

"I'm not getting married," Ben decided.

"And I'm pretty sure I'll never have kids," Thomas added.

Minho pointed first at Ben, then at Thomas, and said, "yes, you will get married, and you're gonna adopt, obviously. And then you can tell them all about how Uncle Minho got you guys into a creepy hospital on Halloween night, and you weren't even scared."

Thomas sighed. "Whatever. I'm telling YOUR future adopted kids to never agree to the crap you try to do."

"Shh!" Newt hissed suddenly. "Did you hear that?"

Immediately, everyone stilled. The only sounds they could hear were their own breathing and the empty silence that hung over the air. Newt was scanning the darkness, even though there was nothing to see past Minho's flashlight. "I swear to God, I heard something," he whispered.

"What was it?" Ben asked.

"I don't know. Just...something."

Minho took a breath. "Well, let's go find out what it was." Ignoring Thomas' protests, he edged farther into the room. He could hear the soft footsteps of his friends behind him. He kept his flashlight aimed ahead of him, sweeping over the floor and the walls. Nothing seemed to be out of place here. Every chair had been left behind exactly the way WICKED had left it long ago. Minho wondered why'd they'd left. What kind of experiments were done here?

Suddenly, everyone jumped as the front door banged shut behind them. Ben yelped, and they all whirled around. Minho's flashlight found Thomas' wide-eyed, guilty face. "Sorry," he hissed. "I let go too fast."

Sighs of relief were breathed out and Ben swore under his breath. Minho tried to ignore how his heart pounded in his chest. He was supposed to be the leader here. "Okay," he whispered. "Newt, where do you think that noise came from? The one you heard earlier?"

"Umm..." Newt looked around. Then he pointed. "Down there."

It was one of the halls that led deeper into the hospital. Minho aimed his flashlight down it. It went on for a long while, long enough for the light to disappear into more darkness. "All right, then that's where we're going," Minho announced.

"What?" Thomas squeaked. "I don't wanna go down there!"

"Too bad, suck it up."

"What?!"

But Minho was already heading into the hallway. He walked forward for a few steps. He was almost afraid that the others wouldn't follow him, but then he heard footsteps again behind him. Glancing backward, he saw Ben inching after him, gazing at the walls. Thomas trailed tentatively behind, and kept glancing over his shoulder. Minho blinked. He couldn't see Newt. Then he nearly had a stroke when Newt's touch appeared on his side; Newt's fingers curled lightly into Minho's shirt. "There better not be one of your friends down here, dressed up as a bloody ghost," Newt whispered.

Minho swallowed when Newt's knuckles brushed his side through his shirt. "Trust me, okay?" he murmured back.

Newt's eyes glimmered dark azure in the dimness. "Okay." He didn't let go of Minho's shirt.

They made their way carefully into the hallway, going deeper into the hospital. Doors passed by on either side, all of them closed. A few had their windows broken, and glittering glass littered the linoleum floor. When Minho peered into one of those windows, he saw an old bed, stripped of its sheets, lying in a patch of moonlight. The scene was so eerie, he had to move on again. They didn't hear anything for a long while. Minho didn't know if Newt had been imagining things when he heard whatever he'd heard earlier. But he wasn't about to chicken out now. The four paused when they reached one of the last few doors. This one was different. This one was open.

Thomas gave a little gasp when Minho placed a hand on the door, as though to push his way inside. "What're you doing?" he demanded in a hushed voice. "You can't go in there!"

"Sure I can," Minho returned over his shoulder. "Who's gonna stop me, the Boogie Man?"

"Well, there's no way I'm following you in," Thomas replied. He shuffled his feet and hugged himself to stifle a shudder. "This place is giving me the creeps."

"Suit yourself." Minho shrugged. "I'm going in. Anyone who wants to come with me, this is your chance." He turned away and started through the doorway.

Behind him, he heard a voice mutter, "shuck it," and then Ben was beside him. "This is scary as hell," Ben mumbled, but he still followed as Minho walked into the room.

Minho's flashlight picked out another bed, and a metal tray next to it. Stiffening, he stared. This was way different than he expected. The bed had no sheets on it all. But it did have four leather straps attached to it, two up high and two near the bottom of the mattress. It looked like they'd been used to strap down whoever had been kept here, to keep them from struggling. The tray sitting beside the bed held an array of gleaming instruments. Some were short and blunt and others were wickedly sharp. Minho couldn't even imagine what they'd been used for.

"Oh my God," Ben whispered beside him. "This is messed up. Seriously."

"Yeah," Minho agreed. "I wonder what they did here."

Ben wrinkled his nose in disgust. "Dude, don't even make me imagine it. Ugh."

"Sorry." Minho couldn't stop looking at that bed, with its binds, and that lonely, evil-looking tray of devices. An aura of danger and pain seemed to be suspended over the room, as though the memories of this place were hanging over them, just out of reach. It was the most unnerving feeling Minho had ever experienced.

"I don't like it here," Ben muttered. "Let's get back to Thomas and Newt." Then he managed a bit of a playful smile. "Besides, you gotta go back to protect your boyfriend, don't you?"

Minho blushed, thankful for a the way the dark hid it. "He's not my boyfriend."

"Oh yeah, I forgot. You didn't get him to kiss you yet."

"Yet."

"Whatever, man. You still gotta—"

He broke off when suddenly, a loud crash sounded. It had to have been from far off in the depths of the building though, because all they really heard was the echo of it. It sounded as though something had knocked over something else. Ben jerked and Minho swung his flashlight up at the ceiling, as though he would see through to the upper floors. They both spun around when they heard Thomas' yell from the hallway.

"Shit," Ben breathed.

"Newt," Minho whispered.

The two dashed for the door and burst out into the hall again. Minho swept the light around in a surge of panic. Ghosts don't exist, ghosts don't exist, he chanted to himself. He still felt the irrational terror though. Ben abruptly let out a shout of his own, and Minho whipped the flashlight around. It illuminated a very out-of-breath Ben standing next to Thomas, who was staring at them through round eyes. "Did you hear that?" he asked. "Did you shucking hear that?"

Minho felt his chest tighten. "Where's Newt?"

"I'm right here," a voice said from behind. Everyone yelped in fear. Minho swung the light back around and it shone on Newt's face. "Bloody hell, Minho," he muttered, shielding his eyes with one hand. "Put that thing down before I go blind."

Minho's shoulders slumped in relief. "Holy crap," he mumbled, running one hand through his hair. "I thought..."

Newt searched his face in confusion. "What?"

"Nothing." Minho shook his head. "I don't know."

"Guys, let's get out of here, okay?" Thomas spoke up in a hushed voice. "I'm not going up there to find out whatever that was. I just wanna go home, and watch Paranormal Activity, and eat all the candy in my house. Okay?"

"I agree with Thomas on this one," Ben put in. "All in favor of ditching this and starting a Paranormal Activity marathon, say aye."

Everyone raised their hands and chorused, "aye."

"All right, good," Ben replied. "Because I did NOT sign up for this crap."

Thomas glared pointedly at Minho. "Yeah, I thought this was gonna be—"

Suddenly, they all heard that crash again, but this time, it was much much closer. Gasping, the four wheeled around and stared down the hallway. Minho lifted his flashlight up, but right before he could shine it farther down the hall, it gave a sputter. And it died. Pitch blackness fell over them. After a few, breathless seconds, Ben muttered, "oh SHIT." That was all it took for them to turn back around and start racing back the way they'd come as though animals were chasing them. Feet pounded the floor and the sound rang out in the hall. Just when they thought they wouldn't go any faster, they'd push themselves on even more. Minho wasn't even aware of who was around him anymore. He just knew that he didn't care if it was only a raccoon that had knocked over something behind them; he wasn't sticking around to see.

They burst back into the lobby and hurtled through without a pause. Moonbeams speared in from the front doors, a welcome sight after the blackness. But they still didn't stop. Ben reached the doors first and barreled into them with his shoulder. Thomas, Minho, and Newt were close behind, shoving the doors open again when they threatened to fall closed. Emerging into the cool, night air, Minho felt some of the fear leave him. He drank in the icy scent of the air and almost closed his eyes. But the relief wasn't enough for him to stop. They kept running on. They ran the entire way to Minho's car and practically threw themselves inside. The engine roared to life and Minho turned it around as fast as he could. The car sped off across the parking lot and out onto the road.

From the backseat, Thomas growled, "I really hate you, Minho."

-x-x-x-

After the fiasco at the WICKED hospital, Thomas' house seemed like a safe haven. It was cozy, and yellow-walled, and filled with dark, homey furniture. Mrs. Edison was upstairs, reading a book. She insisted that she'd rather read about teenagers than deal with them, so the four friends could stay downstairs while she remained in her room. Ben, Minho, and Newt had all called home and gotten permission to stay at Thomas' for the night. None of them cared that they had no extra clothes. The night had been too tiring and hectic. Minho was ready to fall asleep in his Halloween costume for all he cared.

They were all spread out on the couch and recliner in Thomas' living room at the moment. Paranormal Activity 3 played on the TV screen. Right now, some girl was investigating a closet, and it was all too certain what was about to happen next. No one was really watching it though. Thomas was asleep already, curled around a pillow with his ninja mask lying forgotten on the floor. Ben was drifting off on the other end of the couch, blue eyes masked over with tiredness. Newt was dozing lazily on the recliner, sprawled out sideways with his feet dangling over one arm. He raised a hand to his mouth to cover a yawn.

After a while, Minho stood up from where he'd been sitting on the couch and stretched with his arms over his head. His throat felt parched after racing through that hospital. Fighting off his exhaustion, he made his way into the kitchen for a glass of water. He shuffled into the room, and felt his way along the counter to the refrigerator. The kitchen was lit only by the golden light filtering in from the living room. Minho found the fridge and pulled it open. Sliding out a gallon of water, he nudged the door shut again. He paused at the counter when he heard a voice.

"Hey."

Minho glanced over his shoulder and saw the lithe form of Newt leaning in the doorway. Turning back to the water, Minho mumbled a sleepy, "hey."

"Tonight was pretty crazy, huh?" Newt asked.

"Yeah," Minho replied absently. "I think that's the last time I ever try something like that again."

"Thank God."

Minho smiled briefly. Then he shuffled over to a cabinet and pulled it open. Reaching inside, he fumbled around for a glass. Once he found one, he closed the cabinet again and wandered back to the water on the counter. As he unscrewed the cap, he was aware of Newt's eyes on him. Something in the room felt heated. "You want some?" he asked, holding up the gallon of water.

Newt shook his head. "No thanks."

"All right." Minho poured about half a glass and set the gallon down again. He heaved a long, tired breath. "I'm such an idiot," he mumbled.

Newt blinked. "What d'you mean?"

Minho just looked at him. I didn't kiss you, he thought. But he just sighed again. "Nothing, I guess."

"It can't be nothing," Newt argued. He pushed off from the doorframe and took a few steps into the room.

"Well, it is nothing," Minho replied. "Don't worry about it." He reached for the glass and took a grateful gulp of water. It felt gloriously cool as it went down. Setting the glass down again, picked up the gallon to put it away.

"You always tell me it's nothing," Newt pointed out. "What is it about me? You don't trust me as much as Ben or Thomas?"

Now Minho stopped to look at the blonde. "What? No. That's not it."

"Well, you're always telling THEM everything. And as soon as I show up, you say that nothing was happening at all."

"Yes, well, there's a reason for that."

"So, what is it?"

"I can't tell you."

"Why not?"

"I just can't."

"Minho—" Newt broke off in frustration. He raked one hand through his hair, tousling it. Minho opened up the fridge and put the water away. Closing it, he paused to look at Newt. The blonde was staring at the floor through sad, blue eyes, as though he'd been scolded. Minho's heart ached for him. Newt didn't look up. "Is it something I did?" he asked quietly. "Something I said?"

Minho felt the pain in his heart grow. "You didn't do anything," he told Newt.

"Then what is it then?" Newt raised his eyes to Minho's face again. They brimmed with puzzled hurt. "Do you just...not like me?"

"No, of course not," Minho replied quickly. "It was never that. I—I just..."

Newt searched his face. "Just what?"

"I—I..."

"Minho, what?"

"Its..." Minho wanted to kick himself. He couldn't meet Newt's gaze. "It's...nothing," he mumbled lamely.

Newt studied him for a few more moments. The pain in his expression was too much to bear. After a minute, Newt took a shuddery breath. "Okay. I guess I can take a hint." He started to turn away, his voice dull. "Bye, Minho."

Minho watched Newt's back as he walked toward the doorway again. He couldn't take it anymore. He hated when Newt looked like that, so brokenhearted and sure that Minho never liked him. Minho knew the truth. He liked Newt more than he'd ever liked anybody. "Newt."

Newt had barely turned around before Minho strode forward and caught him by the shoulders. The blonde gasped as Minho forced him back until his back hit the wall beside the doorway. Newt was frozen in shock as Minho trapped him there between his arms, planting his hands on the wall. Their eyes locked, midnight-blue into gold-flecked obsidian. Minho couldn't think straight. "This is what I couldn't tell you," he breathed.

And he kissed Newt.

Newt's lips were just as soft as Minho had dreamed they'd be. He felt like all the air had been stolen from his lungs. At first, Newt didn't move, he was so surprised. Then he tentatively lifted a hand to touch Minho's cheek. His eyelids slid closed and he kissed back. Minho gave a sound of bliss that was quickly trapped by Newt's mouth on his. He'd been half-afraid that Newt would push him away. But that was far from what happened. Newt angled his head slightly and deepened the kiss even more. Both of his hands came up to Minho's face now, slipping up into his hair. Minho felt the cool fingers threading through his hair and sliding over his scalp. It was the most addictive thing he'd ever felt.

Minho wasn't thinking anymore. He gave Newt's lips a hesitant, little lick and Newt sucked in a breath. He parted his lips and the kiss turned into something more. Minho's hands slipped from the wall and fell chastely to Newt's waist. When Newt whimpered into his mouth though, he couldn't take it. His fingers slid lower, gripping Newt's hips. Stepping forward, he pressed his body flush against Newt's keeping the blonde between him and the wall. Newt looped his arms around Minho's neck, his movements desperate for more of this. Minho was dizzy with Newt, high with Newt. He'd never thought anyone could do this to him.

They broke apart, panting shakily. Minho watched reverently as Newt's eyes slid open to half-closed crescents, fixing on him. The blonde's body felt lean and warm pressed up against Minho's. They fit together like two puzzle pieces, as though they were meant to be together like this. Newt lowered his hands to Minho's shoulders. "You...you kissed me," he said. He sounded deliciously husky and dazed from Minho's kisses.

Minho nodded. "Yeah, I kinda did," he managed.

"I never thought..." Newt trailed off. "How did you know?" he asked suddenly.

Minho blinked. "Know what?"

"That I've...had this...gigantic crush on you."

"I never knew that," Minho replied with a little laugh. "I'm surprised you didn't know how much of a crush I had on YOU."

Newt blushed delightedly. "You like me?" he asked, an adorable smile playing on his lips.

Minho couldn't resist kissing him on the nose. "Of course I like you," he murmured. "I've liked you since Day One."

Newt smiled wider. He hugged Minho closer and lightly rubbed their noses together. A giddy laugh escaped him. Minho gave him a funny look. "What?"

"Just..." Newt shook his head. "I can't believe the captain of the track team is my boyfriend."

Minho grinned, foolishly happy that Newt had called him his boyfriend. He placed one last, small kiss on Newt's forehead, then stepped back. Gently, he skimmed his hand down Newt's arm to his wrist, then interlaced their fingers. Newt was smiling as he let Minho guide him back into the living room. Thomas and Ben were out cold by now, Ben snoring softly. Minho tiptoed past them to the recliner and sank into it with a sigh. Newt settled down next to him, their sides pressed together. Minho couldn't stop looking at the gorgeous angel, HIS gorgeous angel. He didn't know how long this would last between them. Maybe a year. Maybe even forever. But he would live this dream of his as long as possible. Taking Newt into his arms, Minho closed his eyes.

The next day, Ben and Thomas came to school dressed as fairy princesses, complete with pink wings and glitter. Minho couldn't have been happier.

-PS: just wanted to ask you guys this: in the Of Minho & Newt series, should Newt get the tattoo of an M over his heart to match Minho's? Yes or no? Just tell me your answer in a review. If enough of you all want it, I'll make it happen! (Or if I like it, I'll make it happen anyway...XD) Thank you for reading, wonderful people!-


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